How is quartz useful for humans?

Quartz lamp treatmentTherefore, it should be carried out after consulting a doctor and following the instructions specified in the instruction manual for each specific quartz lamp model. When using a quartz lamp, adhere to the following rules:

• Be sure to wear protective glasses for yourself and your child before using the lamp – they will help protect your eyes from ultraviolet radiation. Areas of the body that are not to be irradiated should be covered with a towel. The distance from the skin to the lamp should be at least 50 cm;
• After switching on, the lamp should stabilize within 5 minutes. In general, the lamp operating mode should be 10-15 minutes of operation, then a break;
• Treatment with a quartz lamp should be carried out in a mode from 0,5 minutes to 3 minutes, with an increase of 0,5 minutes each time. One area of ​​skin should not be irradiated more than once a day. Before using the lamp, the skin can be lubricated with oil to prevent drying (if you have very dry skin);
• Be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions and instructions. Excessive exposure can cause skin dryness or pigmentation. If you have suffered a serious illness, refrain from using a quartz lamp until your body is completely restored. It is not recommended to use the lamp at elevated body temperatures;
• If after a quartz treatment session you have a severe headache, irritation, dizziness, your body cannot tolerate ultraviolet radiation, both artificial and real. In this case, quartzization procedures are not recommended;
• Quartz lamps are not intended for tanning – they do not contain a spectrum of UV radiation, which leads to darkening of the skin (and can lead to dangerous diseases). Therefore, quartz lamps do not cause sudden darkening of the skin;
• When operating a quartz lamp, fire safety rules must be observed;
• When operating a quartz lamp, there should be no domestic plants or animals in its irradiation zone.

Treatment with a quartz lamp will be a pleasant and safe process if you follow the above recommendations.

How to use a quartz lamp?

1. To use a quartz lamp, clear the room of all living things. How does a quartz lamp work at home? The operation of a quartz lamp at home is no different from the principle of exposure in any other room. Your pets can be seriously harmed by UV rays. Plants will certainly die immediately after the first quartz treatment. The procedure is detrimental to the growth and vital activity of plant cells. A quartz lamp kills fungus, so it is necessary to leave those pieces of furniture on which it has grown. Also, a quartz lamp kills lichen, but in order not to harm a pet that has lichen, it is necessary to use quartz lamps that have the ability to quartz people through attachments. When quartzing rooms with powerful lamps, remove animals and people from the room. You can place the necessary furniture in the room for quartzing (surface disinfection). Ultraviolet rays, filling the air with ozone, penetrate into the most inaccessible places of objects and furniture. Therefore, germs and viruses will no longer have a chance to survive.
2. Before turning on the lamp, you must wear safety glasses. Most patients with a burn to the surface of the eyeball go to the ambulance due to ordinary inattention when studying the instructions. How does a quartz lamp work in the presence of a person without protective glasses? If you still did not wear glasses, then you can determine the first signs of a burn to the eyeball: lacrimation, photophobia and eye pain. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor.
3. Turn on the lamp for half an hour and leave the room without taking off your safety glasses. Do not touch the lamp surface (glass quartz tube). In the event that you could not avoid touching, wipe the surface of the lamp with a special lint-free cloth soaked in an alcohol solution. It is not recommended to leave the lamp on for more than half an hour. How to use a quartz lamp with repeated exposure? The lamp must cool for at least 40 minutes before quartzing again. Calculate the lamp operation schedule as follows: 30 min. work, 40 min. break. To ensure better disinfection, try to change the location of the lamp when re-quartzing.
4. When returning indoors, put your safety glasses back on. Carefully remove the cable from the socket, or press the power off button on the body of the quartz device. Be sure to ventilate the room; ozone released in large quantities is harmful to the body.

How does a quartz lamp work when performing procedures on the surface of the human body?

Quartzization of a person should be done only after consultation with a doctor. Each organism is individual, so exposure to rays on the body can be dangerous.

Why is a quartz lamp harmful?

A person who does not protect his eyes with special glasses can be harmed by a quartz lamp. Why is a quartz lamp dangerous? Before quartzing, it is necessary to remove children and animals from the premises. Otherwise, harm from radiation will be inevitable; this may negatively affect the body’s skin if you use a high-power indoor lamp. Before use, read the instructions, the lamps may be safe in the presence of people. Quartzization is capable of destroying all known viruses in the air of an irradiated room, but, unfortunately, the source of the virus is an infected person, he will continue to spread the disease. Therefore, it is best to purchase a universal quartz lamp for quartzing people and premises. The most pressing question is: why is a quartz lamp harmful? Can the procedure destroy beneficial microorganisms for humans? Why is a quartz lamp dangerous for plants, animals and humans? If you have chosen a quartz lamp for procedures with ear tips, mouth and nose tips, then, of course, such a lamp is not capable of destroying necessary and beneficial microorganisms in a person, but, on the contrary, can strengthen the immune system and relieve the first signs of a cold. The purpose of quartz lamps is different, so be sure to study the technical specifications before purchasing. A quartz lamp will not be dangerous to humans if used correctly, according to the instructions.

The UV lamp is often associated with medicine and the inscription “quartz treatment” on the doors of hospital rooms. But room sterilization is far from the only purpose of this simple but versatile device, which is widely used in a wide variety of fields.

bacteriologist, director of the microbiological research department of the LabQuest laboratory

“I’ll tell you where the UV lamp is used, on what principle it works, in what cases it is most effective and how safe it is for humans.”

• What is ultraviolet?
• Where is UV radiation used?
• Ultraviolet against bacteria and viruses
• Harm from ultraviolet radiation to humans
• Real efficiency of UV lamps
• Do I need a germicidal UV lamp?

What is ultraviolet?

Ultraviolet radiation itself is just one of the spectrums of electromagnetic waves invisible to us. The same definition applies to the familiar X-ray radiation. The difference is in the wavelength, which determines its properties.

The main source of ultraviolet radiation is the Sun. In this regard, the question may arise: why are artificial sources of UV radiation needed if there is a natural one? The trick lies in that very wavelength.

The fact is that ultraviolet is divided into three separate spectra: UV-A, UV-B and UV-C. Only UV-A and a small part of UV-B reach the Earth’s surface, and almost all of UV-C is absorbed by the atmosphere.

However, the most effective radiation spectrum for destroying bacteria and viruses is about 254 nm, which is precisely in the UV-C range. Therefore, these waves can only be effectively influenced by artificial means.

The ability to select the desired wavelength, control its properties and filter it out from the general spectrum is what distinguishes UV lamps from natural radiation sources. This allows the same device to be used for different purposes.

Where is UV radiation used?

UV radiation can disinfect surfaces, water and air, which is why such lamps are used in medical institutions, laboratories and the food industry.

The properties of ultraviolet radiation were appreciated by dermatologists. UV light phototherapy has been successfully used in the treatment of skin diseases such as psoriasis, vitiligo, eczema, fungus and lichen.

Such devices are also used in the beauty industry – with their help they achieve a beautiful, uniform tan in solariums, harden nail polish, whiten teeth and install light fillings.

Ultraviolet against bacteria and viruses

The impact of ultraviolet radiation is based on its ability to change the structure of molecules and cause various photochemical processes. In the case of living cells, UV radiation causes damage to their DNA, which prevents normal reproduction and survival.

Since DNA contains the information to reproduce new cells, any errors in its structure are critical to this process. This is similar to a “damaged phone” – the final recipient may receive a message with a completely different meaning. It is thanks to this effect that UV radiation has bactericidal properties.

However, some bacteria and viruses may be resistant to UV radiation. For example, bacterial spores, mycobacteria, lipid-enveloped viruses and bacteria in biofilms demonstrate low susceptibility to ultraviolet radiation.

Harm from ultraviolet radiation to humans

UV radiation affects the cells of the human body in the same way as bacteria and viruses, but, unlike them, we have a wide arsenal of protective equipment. These include effective mechanisms for repairing damaged DNA, a thick epidermis and melanocytes – cells that produce melanin. This natural pigment gives us a tanned appearance and protects us from ultraviolet radiation by absorbing and scattering it.

Despite the fact that the most active part of the UV spectrum is scattered in the atmosphere, waves in the UV-A range fully reach us. They do not affect cells as destructively as UV-C, but at the same time penetrate deeper into the skin due to their longer wavelength. Premature aging, age spots and wrinkles are also to blame for long-term exposure to UVA.

The worst case scenario is skin cancer. It is ultraviolet radiation that is the leading cause of its development. You can encounter life-threatening melanoma and less dangerous types of the disease.

In general, damage from ultraviolet radiation depends on the intensity and time of exposure. A short 10-minute walk is unlikely to be dangerous even under the scorching sun. However, if you accidentally relax on the beach and fall asleep, you will likely experience a sunburn. And the long-term consequences of regularly ignoring sun protection measures are almost impossible to predict.

It is worth noting that special UV lamps are unsafe for people in all cases with direct exposure to the skin and eyes. The same applies to solariums – their harm is scientifically substantiated and proven. For example, in Australia and Brazil their use is prohibited by law. And in a number of European countries, sunbathing in solariums is only possible after 18 years of age.

Real efficiency of UV lamps

Using UV lamps to disinfect premises involves a lot, especially at home. Ultraviolet is essentially the same light, only not visible to us. For this reason, it is retained and dispersed by obstacles such as ordinary household dust.

And while it is possible to ensure a perfectly clean and smooth surface in a laboratory, not every housewife can afford to carry out daily thorough cleaning in the apartment. In addition, any shadowed areas and corners will remain untreated.

It is for this reason that UV radiation is never used as the only method of disinfecting surfaces – only together with manual treatment with antiseptics.

Do not forget that UV radiation has a destructive effect on materials and surfaces such as plastic, paint and wallpaper. And regular use of a bactericidal lamp can result in repairs or damage to things dear to you. Indoor plants can also be damaged by high doses of UV radiation.

Most often, devices with UV lamps are used to disinfect air, placing them in hoods and air ducts – this way you can provide a targeted intense effect without harm to humans. In combination with open lamps, which are turned on when people are not present, this air purification system significantly reduces the risk of transmitting a pathogen through the air.

An open type lamp is not suitable for constant use in the presence of a person, but can be used for air purification in special UV recirculators. Since the radiation is isolated inside the device, it is absolutely safe for people – you can constantly be in its presence.

You should not expect it to be effective as a hospital solution – the fans and lamp power are not strong enough to provide a high impact on pathogens.

Do I need a germicidal UV lamp?

The bactericidal effect of UV lamps depends on a large number of factors, most of which cannot be taken into account at home. For this reason, the use of UV light is best reserved for medical or professional use where the devices are designed to minimize potential harm.

For example, manicurists often use ultraviolet dryers for gel polish – when used as intended, such devices are in most cases harmless.

First of all, UV lamps are a tool for solving a specific problem where the balance between time and radiation intensity is important. And only a doctor with special knowledge and skills will be able to not only select the optimal ratio of these parameters, but also correctly determine the area of ​​influence and understand whether there is a need for UV therapy in a particular case.

For these reasons, buying a UV lamp for home use is, at a minimum, impractical, and at a maximum, dangerous to health.